Fertility preservation in adolescent males with cancer in the United Kingdom: a survey of practice
Fertility preservation in adolescent males with cancer in the United Kingdom: a survey of practice
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DOI：
10.1136/adc.2003.042036
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发表时间：
2004-08-01
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Hale, J
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Glaser, AW;Phelan, L;Hale, J
Fatherhood is an important issue to young men surviving cancer as fertility may be impaired by treatment. 1 A number of strategies to preserve fertility are available to adolescent males. Wide variation in practice for adolescent male fertility preservation has previously been shown in North America. 2 No defining data for the UK are available. In the UK, these activities are regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). 3PARTICIPANTS, METHODS AND RESULTS A national postal survey of all 22 regional paediatric oncology centres (POCs) and all HFEA licensed assisted conception units (ACUs) actively involved in clinical practice in the UK was performed. The aim was to document common practices and areas of variance, and to identify concerns of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Twenty POCs (90%) responded; all offered access to storage facilities for sperm and/or testicular tissue for adolescents under the age of 18 years. Sixty five ACUs (62%) responded, of whom 23 currently offered storage facilities for this group. Only six ACUs named by POCs as their referral unit responded, thereby preventing detailed correlation between paired centres (the other 17 centres may have offered gamete storage to adolescents with either non-malignant conditions requiring chemotherapy or those being treated in adult cancer units). Table 1 shows available collection techniques together with the number of centres actually utilising them. All four units storing tissue from epididymal aspiration or testicular biopsy were doing this as part of a clinical programme with no parallel research programme. Fourteen POCs (70%) offered fertility preservation to individuals who had begun but not completed sexual development. No centres offered this service prior to the onset of sexual development. Nineteen (75%) offered it to individuals with prior exposure to chemotherapy. Fifteen POCs (75%) and seventeen ACUs (74%) required individuals to be Gillick competent for sperm banking, while seven POCs (35%) and 10 ACUs (43%) required this for testicular biopsy or epididymal aspiration. 4 Written information regarding fertility preservation specifically for males
